Bhikshuni Heng Yi grew up in a Taoist family. However, every year on the Mid-Autumn Festival her grandmother would take her to a Buddhist temple to worship and eat vegetarian food. She would remind her grandmother about their visit to the temple a few days in advance. On the day of the Festival, her grandmother would tell her, "Go change at the neighbor's house. I'll come and fetch you." Her grandmother only wished to take Heng Yi Shr along and didn’t want her other grandchildren to find out. Thus Heng Yi Shr developed ties with Buddhism since she was little.

As a student in school, Heng Yi Shr noticed that her teachers who were vegetarians were different. She admired left-home people and thought they looked very graceful . In 1990, she began volunteering at the Dharma Realm Buddhist Books Distribution Association, and later on enrolled at the Proper Dharma Buddhist Academy in southern Taiwan. She followed a vegetarian diet like everyone else. That same year, she took refuge with the Triple Jewel when the Ven. Master Hua visited Taiwan.

One day she heard a Dharma Master say that the best way to repay the kindness of one's parents was to leave the home-life. She considered leaving home, but she still had many concerns and felt it would be inconvenient to be a nun. When the Ven. Master returned to Taiwan at the end of 1992, she finally overcame the psychological obstacles and had her head shaved. The Ven. Master gave her two Dharma names: Guo Lian ("Fruit of Purity") and Heng Yi ("Constant Righteousness"). In 1995, she came to the U.S. and received full ordination. Her greatest regret is that she did not have a chance to be taught personally by the Venerable Master, who had just passed away.

While Heng Yi Shr was studying at Proper Dharma Buddhist Academy , she knew that her teachers worked very hard, yet she herself was usually drowsy and not vigorous. Feeling ashamed of this, she would repent before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and hope her drowsiness would go away. Someone told her that it might help to recite Sutras aloud, and when she tried it, it worked: she wasn't drowsy anymore. Having a weak memory, she likes to cultivate Earth Store Bodhisattva's Dharma door. Every night she bows to this Bodhisattva and prays that her wisdom will develop and she will not be so drowsy. After several years of bowing, she is now much more alert.

Heng Yi Shr now lives at Gold Mountain Monastery and vigorously bows to Earth Store Bodhisattva every night. She hopes that when she leaves the home-life with the Ven. Master in a future life, she will be able to receive the precepts from the Master in person.